One heck of a cold front

Shortly before five this morning, I was rudely awakened by thunder, lightening, a deluge of rain, and winds so strong I felt like the rig was going to roll over. I literally jumped out of bed, and in less than three minutes, I rearranged things and brought the slide-outs in! Then Emma and I sat in the living area and watched the news. What else can you do at five in the morning? Actually, I was surprised that I still had electricity. It seems anywhere I've been that the electric goes out with a storm of this intensity.

Eventually, the front moved through, the rain abated, and the skies cleared. The wind, however, continued to blow at an average of 32mph with gusts much higher. I had to make a decision....do the salinity tests and bird survey today, or try to get it done tomorrow morning before starting to cook for our Christmas Dinner at the RV pads. I decided to get it done today, so off I went.

I have two places that I stop to do the salinity tests, and this is the first one. I hope you notice the muddy conditions. I donned my rubber boots, stuffed the salinity meter into my pockets, grabbed my walking stick for stability, and began the challenge of sloshing through the muck and mire.


This is the view looking back through the mud that is spiced with plenty of cow pies. :) A fragrant and boot sucking trek to say the least. This is where the cattle drive, that I posted pictures of last week, ended up. The cows had moved off to another section, so at least I didn't have to deal with them up close and personal.


Once I got to the culvert that has locks (as in water locks, not combination/key locks) on it for increasing/decreasing water flow, I took out the salinity tester. It measures salinity in parts per million.

My job is to submerge the sensor to several inches above the bottom to get a reading. Today, the reading was 4.4; last time it was 3.3, so things do change.

After I tested in four locations, I drove to the Shoveler Pond Loop to do the bird survey. Since the hurricane, there has generally not been much to see on the loop bird wise. I thought it might be a little different this afternoon because of the high winds. The slightly inland location of the loop would afford some protection from those winds. I was right! While the variety and number of birds was not astronomical, it was probably the best count for this year. It took me two hours to do that 2.5 mile loop.

I'm really glad that I did the tests and survey today so I can just enjoy the holiday tomorrow. The winds are still blasting away close to 40 mph, but they're supposed to subside to around 20 by 9:00. Maybe these conditions will keep the rodents flying past the rig tonight????

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

A catch up day

I had hoped to get some pictures today, but it just wasn't to be. I really needed to catch up on chores around the motorhome, and do grocery shopping.

I headed for Beaumont, Texas, around 10:00. It's about 50 miles from here. It's really a toss up whether to go to Beaumont or Bayside (in the other direction). I like Beaumont, and was surprised that after two years, I remembered where my favorite stores are.

HEB (here everything's better) is a grocery chain in Texas that always seems to have an excellent selection of items. Finding a corned beef brisket in Texas isn't easy since this is the home of BBQ'ed brisket, but I felt confident I could find what I was looking for. I was correct. Although I only had a selection of two briskets to choose from, at least I found one. Whenever I'm at a refuge that has a volunteer building with a kitchen, I buy a corned beef to prepare. Boiling a corned beef in the motorhome is out of the question. That's too much moisture in the air inside for three hours! St. Patrick's day is the last time I was able to cook one. I'm looking forward to a favorite meal in the near future.

Once I got back to the RV, Emma needed some outside time, and I needed to fill the new two gallon water jug that I found at Walmart this morning. A larger reverse osmosis tank is supposed to be installed soon. That will certainly be an improvement. As it stands now, it takes at least ten minutes to fill a two gallon jug. That's with no one having filled a container since yesterday. I'm not sure how long it takes to produce another two gallons of good water, but a larger system will surely help. Three of the rigs here have occupants that are on the fire crew and they are in training at Aransas NWR this week. When they return, there will be seven rigs trying to get drinking water each day. That could take some time.

After we went back inside, it was time to try to tackle all the dried mud and pebbles that we had tracked in the last two days. My vacuum had to work overtime, but I got most of it up. I had planned to replace a set of rugs that I purchased back in 2005. There are five of them. Two on the entrance steps, one at the top of the stairs, one long one down the hallway, and one in the bathroom so my tootsies don't get cold in the middle of the night. :) They are rubber backed, and after four years of hard use, need to be replaced. They all match, and I purchased them from Camping World. Since there is a Camping World on the west side of Houston, I was going to put in a new set while I was here at Anahuac. Well, I think I'll still buy the new set, but after seeing the results of the mud, I surely won't put them down until I leave here. I'm glad I waited. These worn rugs can last another two months, and then I won't have to try to clean them anymore. That mud turns cement-like when it dries!

Ha Ha! Here's a news flash from the six o'clock news in Houston: The school district is going to keep the heat on overnight so students will be comfortable in the morning! For you folks up north, can you imagine a school not having the heat on overnight at this time of the year? What a hoot! With the threat of a couple of inches of snow, people here are getting all in a dither.

Fun times for the next couple of days....

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

I made it!

After waiting until 9:00 for the campground office to open, I was able to get the propane tank filled and hit the road for Anahuac. I drove about 50 miles down I-10 before pulling into a gas station for a fill up. I took on about 55 gallons. Filling up the motorhome usually takes about twenty minutes, and today was no exception.

Then I was back on the road and headed through Houston. There was some construction, but all in all the trip went smoothly until the last 20 or so miles. Then the winds picked up. First, they were head on, and then once I exited at Winnie, TX, they were blasting me from the driver's side. It was pretty white knuckle time the last 45 minutes.

It was apparent when I arrived at the volunteer sites that this area has received plenty of rain recently. There were standing puddles of water, and the two sites I had to choose from were very muddy. These two new RV sites are located right where the former volunteer building was located before hurricane Ike. They have only finished setting up these sites in the last few weeks. It's obvious no one has used them yet, as the gravel hasn't been packed down and clumps of mud and gravel stick to your shoes as you walk around. Yuck!!! I tracked in more mud and gravel onto my rugs just setting up than this rig has ever seen.

On the bright side, I was able to quickly set up the DISH in between rain showers. The forecast for the next week includes the possibility of plenty of rain, so I just may move to a paved site that will become available this coming weekend. I think I might really get fed up with so much mud for ten weeks. ;) We'll see what happens.

I'll meet with Stephanie, the volunteer coordinator, tomorrow afternoon to see what my schedule will be for the next two months. I'm happy to get back to doing something. Two and a half months off was enough.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

Swan Lake Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

The biggest challenge for today was getting out of the campground at the Missouri State Fair Grounds. After four straight days of rain, the grounds were a muddy mess. At 7:00 a.m. I watched the motorhome on my right try to leave, and just get bogged down. The tires ended up ten inches into the mud and the hitch on the back of the rig was on the ground. At 8:00, the motorhome on my left ended up in the same situation. I decided to drive the car to the hitch-up breakfast at the other end of the fairgrounds. I got an outstanding homemade biscuits with gravy and juice for only two bucks. After I got back to the rig, I finished my pack-up routine and shortly after ten, I decided to give it a try to pull out. The waiting list for the tow truck already had 15 rigs on the list, so I figured what the heck.... might as well give it a try. Sometimes there's a real advantage to not having a 40' rig and this was one of them. I put it in low gear and drove right out of the site to the cheers of the not so fortunate onlookers. :) I was on cloud nine and moved the rig to a big paved parking lot on the fair grounds about a half mile away. Then I walked back to my site to get the car and drove that over to hook it up. By 10:30, I was on the road and headed north. What a relief!!!

I had some really detailed directions from the volunteer coordinator at Swan Lake. All travel today involved country roads, but after two hours and 82 miles, I arrived at my destination. I had heard that the secondary roads in Missouri are not very nice, but I must say that the seven roads I traversed were all smooth and well taken care of. There were two construction stops along the way, but overall a very nice journey.

I took my time setting up camp at one of the two RV volunteer sites. The couple, Morry and Margaret, in the other site are pulling out on Sunday morning. They have been here three months, and their assignment is about over. Since Kirk and Pam are unable to come, I can move to the other site on Sunday if I want. After spending the evening here, I think I'll stay where I'm at. The other site has full sun all afternoon, and I do like to sit outside in the late afternoon and evening. I'm facing the opposite way, so I'll have shade to enjoy my time outside.

The sites are brand new cement pads with full hookups. The water pressure is phenomenal, and the view is very nice. I'm not looking at the maintenance buildings! Emma and I tried to walk the half mile wildlife trail this evening, but only made it about three quarters of the way when the trail seemed to end and we ran into a sign saying the area was closed. I don't know if I took a wrong turn somewhere or what. I'll have to ask about that. Anyway, we back tracked our way back to home. I put up my bird feeders and hummingbird feeder, set up the DISH in record time, set the tomato plants out, put out the awning, set up my rocker, and just kicked back. So far, I really like this refuge.

Tomorrow, I'll get the bicycle down, do laundry, and learn the ropes of the visitor's center before Morry and Margaret leave. That's the plan anyway. I have my trucker's antenna up and barely have a connection so I'll see if I can post any pictures tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

I didn't win!

I thought sure I was going to win the final prize of a 35 day trip to the Canadian Maritimes, but alas, it was not to be so. :( The closing ceremonies took place this afternoon at the 49th Escapade. It was the first day since Sunday that I was able to ride my bicycle to the activities today. That's not to say that it was sunny, but at least it wasn't pouring down rain.

Yesterday morning, I hopped on a shuttle to the vendors' area. I had a few items in mind that I was interested in. Upon approaching the first booth, the vendor asked me where my ID tag was. Sure enough, I had left it on the counter in the rig. That meant I had to find another shuttle back to the campground and then finally hitch another ride back. That accomplished, I proceeded to find those items that I felt would enhance my existence. One item I was interested in was a cap for my holding tank vent on the roof. Whenever I turn on the fan in the bathroom while showering to suck out the moisture, it seems that sewer gas fumes somehow get sucked into the rig. I thought this new vent cover might help eliminate that, but wasn't sure I wanted to install it. The saleslady said not to worry, she knew someone that was doing installations. I bought the vent and signed up to have it installed. It only took the guy ten minutes, but he had all the proper tools and knew what he was doing. It was worth the price to me.

I also purchased a new sewer hose to replace the one that was shredded in the hail storm and found a few other goodies that should make my life a little easier. I'll try a few of these items out when I arrive at Swan Lake and let you know how they work out.

By that time, I got a call from Steve at Workamper News and he had the camera set up and was ready to interview me out at the gazebo. We squeezed the interview in between showers and I think it went well. I mostly talked about the volunteer positions I've been in since I've been on the road. At some point it will appear on a new site at the Workamper News Website.

In the afternoon, I went to the Craft Show and Sell and found two beaded bracelets that will now enhance my wardrobe. ;) In the evening, I hiked over to the Ham-O-Rama which is entertainment provided by Escapees members. It was a great night with a wide variety of talent showcased. There were some great singers, some not so great singers, story tellers, and comedians. All in all, a very enjoyable time.

This morning, I went to two seminars. One was for women only and the other was geared for solo travelers. The second one was really about loneliness on the road. I can honestly say that though I travel alone, I've really not felt lonely. This afternoon was the closing ceremonies and the awarding of the grand prize.

I've started to pack things up and managed, with another solo lady's help, to get the bicycle back on the rack. I dumped the tanks, packed up the outside rocker, and began the inside ritual. I also called my Emergency Road Service to be sure I'll be able to get a tow truck to pull me out of the mud tomorrow if needed. So far, everyone who has left has had to be pulled out. The clouds have finally broken this evening, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to just drive out carefully without becoming mired in the muck. That may be wishful thinking.

There have been three big tow trucks circling the campground like vultures for the last few days. I'm sure this Escapade mud mess will make their income soar for the year. Can you imagine what pulling out 750 rigs from the mud will do for them??? Talk about economic stimulous!

My plan is to attend the hitch-up breakfast tomorrow morning and take my time getting ready to head out. Maybe some of the moisture will evaporate by then. If not, I'll wait for a tow. I only have about 70 miles to drive to Swan Lake, so I'm not in a big rush. I've heard internet reception with an air card is almost nonexistant there, so I'm not sure when I'll post again. Maybe Sprint will come through for me once more....

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy